Nail-plate feeder



(No Model.) v J. Q.iGOULD, NAIL PLATE EEEDEE. No. 292,300. Patented'Jan. 22, 1884.`

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Usui-*En f STATES PATENT Ormes.; d

JOHN c. coULD, or carence', iLLiNois.

SPECIFICATION forming-part of Letters Patent No. 292,300, dated January 22, 1884.

Application tiled August 3, 18H3. (No model.)

in Nail-Plate-Feeding Machines, of which the following is a specification. v

This invention relates to the devices for feeding the nail-plate supporting-rod in nailplate-feeding machines; and it consists in the novel construction and combination hereinafter set forth.

In said drawings, which form apart of this speciiication,Figure 1 is a side view of that por-v tion ofthe machine to which my invention relates. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section. Fig. 4 is a bottom view, and Fig. 5 is alongitudinalvertical section. l v

In the drawings, A represents the bracket whereby the rod-grippers are supported. It is secured to the machine at the end` thereof not shown. B is the rod vwhereby the nailplate is carried, fed, and placed in position for the cutters. C C are the gripping devices, acting upon the said rod and actuating it intermittently toward the knives, and D is the stop-rod whereby the grippers are swung upon their pivot to move the rod forward in its course. D isthe set-screw whereby the length of the stroke or throw caused by the stop-rod is changed when desired, and D2 is the spring by which the rod D and thel grippers are kept together. The throw ot' the grippers is limited by the bolt g,passing through the bracket A, and an arm, G,attached to one of the grippers. These parts do not differ from corresponding parts of machines heretofore constructed. u

The grippers are oscillated upon a common pivot, c, held by set-screws a, passing through the end of the fork a of the bracket Aiuto the ends of the pivot. Between the grippers is an intermediate piece, E, also encircling the pivot @,provided at its lower end with a wedge, e, which comes in contact with the angling faces c of the gripperends. At its upper end said intermediate piece `f1ts over a round knob or projection, c?, upon the gripper C, so that it is rigidly held at that point, except against 'oscillation on said knob c2. The'grippers and this intermediate piece vare held togetherby a bolt, F, tting closely in the gripper C, and engaging with a thread therein. At its other end the bolt has a hemispherical head setting in a corresponding recess in the gripper C. The opening in the intermediate piece through l which the bolt passes is enlarged to give room t0 a spring, f, encircling the bolt and tending to keep the grip pers apart. To give this spring plenty of room, the recess in which 1t lies may be extended into one of :the grippers, as shown. Theupper'end of the intermediate piece serves to support the plate-rod, as is clearly indicated in Figs. 1 and 2.

The operation of the device is as follows: When the bracket, which is oscillateu with the other parts of t-he feeder, swings toward the knives, the stop-rod comes in contact with a stop in the ordinary manner, and arrests the movement ofthe intermediate piece in which it is stepped, as already stated. This forces said wedge to spread the lower ends of the grippers, and this results, of course, in the seizure of the plate-rod by the upper ends of the grippers, and also in giving said upper en ds an additional'or farther movement,wh1ch carriesv said rod forward the width of a nailblank. The retreat ofthe bracket in the opposite vdirection releases the wedge end of the intermediate piece from the influence of the stop-rod and said end returns to its normal position, thereby allowing the upper ends of the grippers to spread from each other and release'the plate-rod. Vhen the grippers are next actuated to seize the rod, they take hold thereof at a point farther back, and so on un` til the plate is entirely cut up. e

The purpose of the spherical head of thabolt F and its recess in the gripper C is that sald gripper may rock on said bolt as a pivot to the extent permitted by the looseness of its it upon the pivot c. Of course this may be permitted by other forms which will allow such'motion. I adopt the form shown because it is easily manufactured. l

It will be noticed that theinterniediate piece, E,also loosely encircles the pivot c. This enablesthe said intermediate piece to move suffcient-ly to cause the grippers to take hold of \1oo tlleplate-locLands of course essentia] .because a spring, f, for spreading the upper ends of the Wedging movement must be independent the grippers, substantially as speoied. of the grippers.. 3. The combination, with the grippers, of

I elain1- the intermediate piece, E, for` opening and 15 l. The Combination, with the grippers, of closing the grippers and forming asupportfor the intermediate wedge-piece and the stop-rod 'the plate-rod, substantially as specified. actuating said Wedge-piece, substantially as speeied.

2. The combination, with the grippe-rs, of the intermediate piece having :L wedge for spreading the lower ends of the grippers, and

JOHN o. ooULD.

Titnessesz T. EVERETT BROWN, H. M. MUNDAY. 

